Editor’s Note: This blog post is a part of a new ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate Teacher compensation has rightfully taken center stage in the effort to address the teacher shortage crisis in Mississippi. Still, there remains a host of additional challenges…
Read MoreNavigating a Winding Path: Earning an Early Childhood Credential
Editor’s Note: This post is one in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to early education policy in Mississippi. *** By Micayla Tatum I Director of Early Childhood Policy The educator pipeline crisis, which Mississippi First has researched extensively, also affects childcare centers, Head Start, and public school pre-K programs. In short, finding early childhood teachers is as…
Read MoreMississippi Teachers Are Eyeing the Exit
Today, Mississippi First released our newest report, Eyeing the Exit: Teacher Turnover and What We Can Do About It. This report takes a deeper dive into data first reported in our February 2022 report Voices of the Shortage: 2022 Mississippi Teacher Survey, which revealed that over half of teachers surveyed reported being “somewhat” or “very…
Read MoreSquaring the Circle: Learning Loss and Rising District Grades
By Toren Ballard I Director of K-12 Policy This fall, Mississippians received two widely divergent narratives about the state of public education post-COVID: On September 29, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released school and district accountability grades for the 2021-2022 school year, showing unprecedented improvement: 87% of districts were rated “C” or higher, up…
Read MoreChild Care Providers for a New Mississippi Child Care Quality Support System
Editor’s Note: This post is the first in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to early education policy in Mississippi. *** By Micayla Tatum I Director of Early Childhood Policy This past summer, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Mississippi First, and other partners convened early childhood providers and advocates with the goal of centering provider voices…
Read MoreRoadblock to Recovery: Student Absenteeism
Editor’s Note: This blog post is a part of a new ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate As school districts take steps to recover from pandemic learning loss, they should not underestimate how rising rates of chronic absenteeism may hinder this progress. During…
Read MoreHouse Bill 729: STRIDE Scholarship Program
Committee Education Author Kent McCarty Session 2023 Session Latest Action On January 25, the House Education Committee passed HB 729. The bill is now awaiting a vote on the House Floor. Explanation of the Bill House Bill 729 would establish the STRIDE Scholarship Program, which would provide funding for high school students to complete dual-credit…
Read MoreHouse Bill 1161: Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact
Committee Education Author Kevin Felsher Session 2023 Session Latest Action On January 25, the House Education Committee passed HB 1161. The bill is now awaiting a vote on the House floor. Explanation of the Bill House Bill 1161 would establish and enter Mississippi into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact (ITMC), an initiative to ease the…
Read MoreHouse Bill 731: Critical Shortage Stipend for National Board Certified Teachers
Committee Education; Appropriations Author Kent McCarty Session 2023 Session Latest Action The House Appropriations Committee failed to take action on HB 731 by the January 31 deadline, causing this bill to die in committee. Explanation of the Bill House Bill 731 would provide a $4,000 annual salary supplement to National Board Certified Teachers in any…
Read MoreHouse Bill 64: Childcare Liability Insurance
Committee Judiciary (A) Author Daryl Porter Session 2023 Session Latest Action On January 26, the House Judiciary (A) Committee voted to pass HB 64. The bill is now awaiting a vote on the House floor, which will likely take place in the coming weeks. Explanation of the Bill HB 64 would require that childcare facilities…
Read MoreSenate Bill 2601: Amending the Duties of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council
Committee Education Author Brice Wiggins Session 2023 Session Explanation of the Bill SB 2601 would extend the duties and responsibilities of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC). It would also create additional members of the council who would be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor. SB 2601 has been…
Read MoreSenate Bill 2485: Early Intervention Act for Infants and Toddlers
Committee Public Health and Welfare Author Rod Hickman and Nicole Boyd Session 2023 Session Explanation of the Bill On January 31, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee voted to pass SB 2485. The bill is now awaiting a vote on the Senate floor, which will likely take place in the coming weeks. Explanation of…
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